Taylor dies after being shot at home

Nine years later, Taylor’s legacy lives on and he’s still remembered as one of the most talented safeties in NFL history.

After earning unanimous All-American honors at Miami (Fla.) in 2003 and helping lead the Hurricanes to a national championship in 2001, Taylor was selected fifth overall in the 2004 NFL draft. His impact in Washington was immediate, and Taylor earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2006. At the time of his death, he led the NFL in interceptions and was posthumously named to the Pro Bowl again in 2007.

“He just didn’t let up at any time. In the Pro Bowl some guys don’t really play their hardest. They don’t want to get hit,” former Washington safety Dashon Goldson told Sports Illustrated in 2015. “But s—, he was out there playing full-go.”

Washington and one of their defensive lineman tweeted tributes to Taylor on Sunday.